


Glory Sound Prep

by playdohg



Category: Pocket Monsters | Pokemon - All Media Types, Pocket Monsters: Sword & Shield | Pokemon Sword & Shield Versions
Genre: Alpha/Beta/Omega Dynamics, Caring Alpha, Established Relationship, Fluff, Implied Sexual Content, Kinda, M/M, Nesting, No Smut, Non-Traditional Alpha/Beta/Omega Dynamics, Original Character(s), Supportive Relationships, but only for plot driving purposes, i can't find the fics i want under the tags i want, i went too hard in the paint for exposition, im sorry, just a splash of angst for dramatic effect, no frick frack just tooth rotting fluff and a single dick, so i said fuck it ill do it myself, title inspired by Jon Bellion
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-03-22
Updated: 2020-06-23
Packaged: 2021-03-01 02:27:07
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 17,942
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23257648
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/playdohg/pseuds/playdohg
Summary: Rep got so big that it blocked the sun outIt was never enough, he just needed saving from himself"Cautionary Tales", Jon Bellion==Leon's...different. The major thing that sets his dynamic apart is unbearably painful to him. Yet there's still someone that loves him and stands by him. (Actual/Better summary inside in notes )
Relationships: Dande | Leon/Kibana | Raihan
Comments: 38
Kudos: 156





	1. Blu

**Author's Note:**

> DISCLAIMER: I am in no way attempting to shame people for showing their love and affection through sex, and I realize that some of my dialogue and notes could possibly be taken in a manner that sounds a bit like shaming if taken out of context. This is not my intention; I just want a write a story that features an alpha/omega relationship without sex as a core part of a relationship. Not saying it won't happen, but not at the beginning at least. Thanks peeps.
> 
> So this fic was slightly inspired by something a read a while back in the My Hero A/B/O things where a character hit their first heat and they found out they had a condition/disease that affected them and impacted their heat. And, surprisingly, it wasn't fuck or die. I haven't been able to find it in my subscriptions so I assume it was deleted or I'm an idiot. Both are viable. Additionally, its inspired by another set of fics that is still on Ao3 called the "Predicament" series by Crazyaniknowit that posted to the demon slayer fandom which is currently a two part series, but I mainly wanted to highlight an element they used where alphas and omegas are influenced by heats/ruts but don't become complete animals. 
> 
> I decided to go a different route than that fic took bc I try to not be a copycat, and because I wanted to show a deeper impact in a different way than they did (which I can't blame on them considering this character wasn't a main main character to their plot from what I remember). Additionally, I wanted a A/B/O fic that has some more featured technical omega behaviors like nesting and featured more alphas using their bigger head, not their smaller one, to care for their mates. I think it's severely lacking. Also, caring alphas are hooooooot. 
> 
> Chapter Title is taken from the song Blu by Jon Bellion off of the Glory Sound Prep Album for no particular reason other than fuck you that's why

There were multiple assumptions made by the people of Galar concerning their current reigning champion, Leon.

One of the foremost of these assumptions was that, while he’d never not openly confirmed or denied it, he was of the alphan secondary gender, and that he definitely slept with many hot people. His champion persona exuding strong, relentless energy while serving up good looks often were the foundations of the thought process of the people who believed those two particular assumptions concerning Leon.

In interviews or when fans asked such questions concerning his romantic life, Leon would notoriously dodge the question saying something like, “I’m here to set a role model for all genders, and someone’s secondary gender shouldn’t matter in my line of work. What matters is…” before rattling off about battling techniques and bonds with Pokémon before the interviewer or fan realized that he would, in fact, keeping going if they so let him and would do the same thing if another personal question of that nature were asked. So, it remained a mystery to all of Galar the true goings on of champion Leon’s nature and sexuality.

Well, all except a few.

First, most importantly and obviously, his family knew as they grew up in the same house as him, so they honestly probably knew too much; Sonia too since she’s basically family by this point. Second, Galar’s Gym Leaders all knew/had an idea through one way or another, and, in Piers’ case, catching Leon at probably the worst moment he could have seen as the champion walked out of Spikemuth after a quick, friendly visit. Even little Allister knew, though he hadn’t presented as far anyone knew. Then, Rose and his doctors knew by proxy and for medical purposes of his top walking advertisement. And, roped in with the second bunch, his mate Raihan knew. _Boy_ did Raihan know.

Leon was an omega.

Raihan counted himself damn lucky to have scored his rival the way he did. A few subtle hints, a couple linger touches, relentless pining since they were kids with Leon having no damn clue, and an embarrassingly awkward confession in the locker rooms of Wyndon stadium after an exhibition match nearly two years ago now sealed the deal. Tada! He now had his own personal dense grapeheaded idiot to alpha to death since his mate couldn’t bother to take care of himself.

Leon forgot to eat often so Raihan would always make sure to send a text and a sweet message every morning to his lover’s phone since he lived all the way in the capitol city. Raihan also would make sure that he knew to take care of himself mentally, sending checkup messages often reminding him to not dig himself in too deep. Things like that.

Though, the one thing Leon almost always remembered to do, especially after the Piers incident, was to take his medication. The reason being that besides having a surprise heat in front of people would suck ass in a normal situation for normal omegas, Leon was by no means a normal omega.

Normal omegan heats would heighten the senses, cause discomfort until mating, and result in massive hormone influx; Leon wished he had normal heats.

After his first heat, which is generally considered to be the worst one since its more or less just a week of puberty hitting like a truck where the person just fevers out in a few days while their body redevelops, Leon was diagnosed with a disorder where whenever affected by powerful mating scents, his own heat hormones, or when in sexual contact in general, the muscles in and around his groin region would lock up in muscle spasms, blocking any pleasure from his heat and usually spend the next week curled up from pain and cramps. They didn’t know if he would ever be able to have pups if they couldn’t find a solution to his mating issue .

So by all accounts, the rumors were far off the mark in both his gender and sexual activity speculation. Who knew the champion of the region would be so complicated?

=

Raihan found out not too soon after he a Leon both agreed to be serious mates and keep their relationship a secret from the general populous of Galar. He was quite shocked that his childhood friend and now lover had never shared this information with him.

But he couldn’t feel too bad about being left out of the loop looking at Leon after he told him that though.

He held the edges of his cape in a death grip and hanged his head in what Raihan assumed was shame. It was easy to see that Leon hated himself for it. Hated himself for being defective.

Raihan though didn’t care as much as Leon though he did. After pulling him into a tight hug and releasing a gentling soothing scent to comfort the distressed young man, he told him some of the most important words he’d ever hear:

“So what if your body isn’t perfect, or if you can’t help with ruts and shit. I fell in love with you because of who you are, and if we can’t do the ‘normal’ things that mates do together, then so be it. As long as I can stay with you, that’s all that matters to me,” he said muffled near Leon’s ear. Raihan felt the back of his hoodie tighten as the smaller man gripped him tighter and sniffed wetly into the fabric.

They stayed like that for a while in Leon’s little house.

=

It was in the evening after a quick meeting with his trainers about the next challenger season when Raihan got a surprise text from his mate.

_Tomorrow or tonight. Came up fast, but definitely by tomorrow_

Raihan instantly knew what the quick text meant. Heat. He stood quickly from the table himself and the others sat at with a look of concern, shooting back a reply in the process.

_Be there in 30 :)_ was all it read

“Going somewhere so quick?” Sebastian laughed. He quieted when he saw the look on Raihan’s normally relaxed face.

“Ah. One of those kinds of texts?” Aria leaned forward over the table, pushing up her glasses. “We’ll keep the gym running. You go on.”

He didn’t spare another second before running out the door, not even bothering to push his chair in; the alpha in him could only think about making sure Leon was taken care of and ok. Raihan swung by his office and snagged the sparsely packed spare bag he kept for such occasions since he already had things at Leon’s place, only stopping for a minute to switch out of his iconic hoodie into a more lowkey jacket.

Raihan made his way outside before hopping on Flygon and taking off to Wyndon, arriving in only 30 minutes after takeoff and landing just outside the city. Though he was set on getting to his mate as fast as possible and Leon lived near the edges of the city in a quieted neighborhood, he knew better than to pull up to the capital city on a bright green dragon where he could easily be picked out by fans. Not wasting another minute, he pocketed Flygon and walked to Leon’s house. At the door, Raihan pulled out his own key and stepped into the quaint house.

Leon’s text was definitely right, his heat was coming because Raihan could actually smell him for once. The champ normally made sure to mask his scent to the utmost degree so that no one could ever try to scent him or determine his secondary gender on accident, so Raihan’s favorite smell never made an appearance until Leon’s doctor ordered heats (Leon once jokingly said he wished he could be on permanent suppressants to the doctor, and the doctor did not take this nicely, ordering him to have a heat every fourth month at least officially to make sure no suppressant abuse was afoot).

The gentle smell of eucalyptus and spring rain filtered through the house, originating from the master room at the end of the hall, Raihan’s next stop. The smell always reminded him of home in some nostalgic way he could never quit place.

He stopped at the closed door and knocked quietly before a muffled “Come in, Rai!” was heard. Raihan opened the door to see a boxer and massive sweatshirt clothed Leon in the center of the bed fixing up a nearly bare bed plus pillows into a nest with his back to the door.

“Hey, got here as fast as I could. I hope you didn’t need anything because I didn’t stop to grab stuff from the store,” Raihan chuckled a little as he closed the door behind him.

“It’s alright, Rai. I stopped earlier before I came home for some snacks and stuff.” Leon curved the overlapping five or six pillows at the top of the nest into a semi-circle before sitting back on his heels to look over his shoulders with bright gold eyes and a small smile. “Sorry, I don’t have my nest finished before you got here.”

“It’s alright, Leo. Would you mind if I watched you though?” Raihan asked, setting down the bag next to the door. Omegas tended only to allow people they trusted fully to watch or help them nest since it’s where they will be spending a vulnerable weekish within and near them, not to mention that it was generally considered to be an intimate practice. Some were picky and didn’t like their mates to see before the finished product was ready to be displayed. But since Leon let Raihan into the room without a fuss, it was presumed that he was allowed to be there, yet it never hurt to be polite and ask the preheated one under the influence of building hormones.

Leon smiled wider. “Of course you can stay,” He said before turning back around to ponder his beginning creation.

Raihan moved to the chair in the corner of the room at the foot of the bed, which sat next to a little record player and some record sleeves. Taking his new spot, he had a perfect view of purple hair swishing across the surface of the bed to and fro.

“Put some music on if you want, I won’t care.” Leon turned back again to look at the dragon tamer. “Nothing too wild though please.”

He nodded back to the bed comber before leaning down and grabbing a random record from the stash that was leaned between the table and the chair, pulling out a black and gold record titled _Tranquility Base Hotel and Casino._ Raihan made speedy work getting it under the needle of the player before setting it to a quiet volume as piano filtered through the air.

The gym leader leaned back in his chair lazily to watch as Leon hummed and fussed over the nest for a long while. People always said it was a sight to see an omega nest, and they weren’t wrong. His instincts were pleased that there was someone preparing a place so tenderly and attentively for them even though there wouldn’t be anything sexual from the nest. Watching the man, Raihan recognized that there was some method to the madness of the nest.

The initial layer of pillows was just the start. Leon got off the bed and gathered some clothes from a box under the bed, ones that belonged to his family that were old and weren’t in active use anymore and laid them flat against the pillows. He then tucked a large sheet from the top of the bed to the foot, locking the clothes and pillows in place. Leon grabbed some bigger pillows and put them behind the now mounds on the bed against the header, before grabbing some blankets to inspect.

He sat crossed legged on the bed and inspected each inch of the fluffy blankets by hand as his inner instincts commanded before adding them to the nest somewhere. It was almost complete before he went into the adjoined bathroom where the closet was and grabbed a special blanket in a box high up on a shelf. Leon only liked to use it around the time of his heat; made it more special.

Raihan watched as the golden eyed man held one of the items that he always saw over the top of the nest, and it always reminded him of the first time Leon allowed him to come over during his heat since the taller of the two gave it to his mate that day. In his hands Leon held a simple and large dark grey blanket that was fuzzy and heavy for comfort but was specially made from Pokémon silk to allow for breathability and durability. Instead of placing it on the bed, Leon made his way to Raihan in the corner, holding the folded blanket out to him.

“You mind?” Leon asked with a cock of his head. Raihan only grinned, showing off his little fangs, before grabbing the blanket to scent. He handed it back a few seconds later, and Leon held the blanket to his face. To him it smelt like the mountains and pine trees and a little bit like coffee, but mostly it smelt like home. Leon lowered the blanket before looking into those bright teal eyes observing his movement.

“Um…Would you like to help me put this in our nest?” He shyly offered the blanket back to Raihan to share in holding.

The way he said “our” caused Raihan’s heart to flutter a little. Sure, they’d been together a while, but he’d never been offered to help build the nest. He stood and moved so the untaken blanket was now between their chests. Raihan leaned down placed a quick kiss onto Leon’s forehead. Leon giggled.

“I take it that means yes.”

“Always, Leo,” Raihan actually took the blanket from the shorter and flung it out over the edge of the bed. He’d seen Leon’s nesting style enough times to know that he liked it laying loosely over the top of the whole bed but not over the blanket and pillow formation near the top, that part needed to be folded back. Raihan did just so and turned back to face a practically purring Leon who looked at him like he defeated the biggest and badest pokemon he’s ever seen. Before the omega could say anything, Raihan answered.

“I’ve always paid attention to your nesting habit. I thought it would be a good thing to know for the future just incase,” Raihan rubbed the back of his neck with a bit of a blush. He didn’t want to fully admit that he sometimes would create a smaller version back in his own bed in Hammerlocke whenever he missed Leon.

Leon used that moment of silence to tackle his mate backwards onto the fresh nest and peppered light kisses all over the dragon tamer’s face before Raihan caught his bearded chin and placed one right on his champion’s lips. It wasn’t deep but it sure as hell was sweet as Raihan lightly moved his lips against his mate’s softer ones. Raihan then slightly moved Leon’s chest back to get a word in.

“Let me put on some fresh clothes, and we can hop in, yeah? Put on some tv, and maybe I’ll go make some mugs of coco.” Teal met gold again as Raihan gazed into the beautiful eyes of his mate. Leon smiled and hopped off the taller.

“You better be quick or else you’re not allowed in the nest,” Leon laughed offering a strong hand to pull Raihan up off the bed. On his feet, Raihan carded his hands through Leon’s hair, who leaned into his touch.

Raihan left the room to acquire mugs and coco while Leon did one last look over of his nest, making sure it was perfect for his alpha. They may have been more casual around one another than other couples, but that didn’t mean he would have a bad looking nest.

The last song of the record’s side A played off, and Leon moved to put away the black disc. As he picked up the sleeve, he remembered a few months ago receiving the package in the mail with the return address being Piers’ house. The champion occasionally received music suggestions from the gym leader, who, much to his initial surprise post learning the fact, doesn’t listen to only to loud punk and rock music. Leon considered himself to be quite versatile in music suggestion, and he always liked receiving gifts from the beta, especially their attached notes which Leon kept. This one had read:

“I thought it was shite at first because I sounded nothing like their old stuff, but it’s grown on me. Good and longing vibes. Enjoy you spoiled cunt :) -Piers”

Leon smiled a little to himself as he slipped the sleeve back into its rightful spot between the chair and player. It was one of his few hobbies outside of his job that he truly enjoyed, collecting music records. He had a substantial collection of albums and a few 45’s; a handful were from Piers, couple from Raihan that were given as courting gifts, and one was from Hop last Christmas that he’d spend so long to find as it was a preciously rare record from another island. How he did it, Leon still doesn’t fully know, but nonetheless his little bro really came in clutch hard that Christmas.

“You smell pleased.”

Leon whipped up to see Raihan leaning against the door frame with a raised eyebrow and a little smirk holding two steaming mugs. The room dripped with the smell of happy omega.

“I was just thinking about the records I’ve picked up over the years,” He said crawling onto the top of the nest. “The one you picked up earlier was a good one; I like how you can basically hear the glitz and glamour of the city and the hotel just through basic chords and lyrics. It really puts me in a whole new state of mind. Like it transported me there.”

Raihan handed him a mug and sat his on the closest night stand. He moved to switch his clothes out for the ones he deposited by the door in the bag.

“I get what you mean. That’s what I like about that one I gave you a while back. _Depression Cherry_.” He took off his shirt and shorts before grabbing a pair of sweats from the back. “I don’t normally listen to it, but when I’m in the mood to space out it hits different.”

Leon watched as his beautifully muscled mate pulled on his sweatpants and took off his head band, releasing his five dreads or “tails” as the shorter had once called them. The purple haired man took this opportunity to turn away and hide himself under the big grey blanket before he inadvertently caused himself pain. Didn’t need to set himself off earlier than he needed to.

He turned to reach over the nest to grab an idle laptop from the nightstand and felt something lift the blanket and sink the blankets behind him. Leon leaned back against the nest with the laptop propped against his knees.

“Live PD?” Leon asked, but Raihan knew it wasn’t really a question. It was nearly apart of the preheat routine to watch live cop or paramedic shows at this point. Or occasionally watching some random YouTube videos from channels they liked and other shit helped pass the time before the bad time struck.

“Don’t act like I have a say. I couldn’t change your mind if I tried,” Raihan propped himself up against the pillows as Leon scrolled around. There were truths Raihan came to accept over time about Leon before his heat. 1. He chose what happened, Raihan was just another member here along for the ride 2. Coco was always a good idea to make, Leon loved it for whatever reason 3. Raihan was a personal cuddling, body pillow.

Speaking of the later, a laptop was placed into Raihan’s hands as Leon decided to get comfortable. He attached himself to the bare chest of his mate, his leg thrown over the lower body. Raihan set the device down between himself and the pillow wall where both he and Leon could still see the screen showing random cops doing thier jobs.

Raihan used the arm closest to Leon to play with his hair. It softy glided through his fingers, the little curls and waves wrapping around his fingers. Most people didn’t realize that their champion’s hair wasn’t as natural as it looked since he flattened it out every morning, but the growing night now showed that it had just a touch of natural curl and wave to it. Leon pushed himself closer to Raihan letting a soft hum escape as he tried to snuggle deeper into the bare chest.

“How fast did this one creep up on ya’?” Raihan asked without stopping his hands.

“Hm, pretty quick. One minute I was in a meeting with Rose about the next season, and the next moment I felt like wrapping my cape around myself without being cold or anything. I took that moment to think to myself, ‘I should probably ask to leave’. I’m usually better at remembering when a heat is coming,” Leon chuckled.

“And Rose just let you leave?”

“Yup. Though he loves to have my schedule jam packed with things to do, the thing that makes him relent the easiest is dynamic related things. He does have to make sure the champion is in working shape. Also, I don’t think that he ever wants me to be exposed while being champion, as it would cause more problems he just doesn’t want to deal with right now.” Leon replied.

Raihan just gave a little click from this throat at the reply. Before resuming to watch the show. They continued like this for a few hours with random spurts of talking, movement every once and an hour for cold coco, and just cuddles. At some point, the laptop was closed and put on the floor as the lamps turned off and the two dozed as the late night set in with peaceful sleep.

That was until Raihan was awoken by shuffling and whines of pain.

He cracked his eyes to see his mate had rolled away from him a was curled in on himself. Unlike other omegas that when into heat that released an enticing scent to attract others in hopes of being mated, Leon released distressingly bitter scents of pain that mixed in with the naturally sweet and strong heat smells. It honestly helped Raihan to help keep his head straight and take care of his mate properly and not take advantage of him.

It looked like he was still lightly sleeping to Raihan by some miracle, but he reached across the nest and dragged the heavy body back with a single arm to bring flush against his chest. Weaving their legs together underneath the blankets that had moved down to waist level, Raihan moved his arm to his lover’s midsection where he softly began to knead the slightly sweaty abs there underneath the sweatshirt and snaked his other arm underneath the pillow and pulled it closer to the pair’s heads. Now comfortable, Raihan release a calming scent to the distressed omega, hoping it would help the spell.

He crooned softly to Leon, praying it would help ground him out of his own head. Sometimes all he needed was to know that someone was there with him.

All he gave back in response was a grated moan as he pushes himself further against Raihan’s warm body. Raihan functioned as a natural heating pad until things worsened until the point of needing the actual one stashed nearby. The kneading massage seemed to be helping him calm down from the wave, but tremors still coursed through the smaller.

He’d gotten good at it over time, but Raihan actually found out earlier on after attempting to calm Leon down in the older days that the kneading was an instinctual technique in alphas used to stimulate their mates for milk. Who knew? But he’d gotten a technique down of pressing using just the pads of his fingers to soften the tightening muscles on Leon’s stomach and back.

He continued to do this for a period of time until Leon slowly turned around so that his clammy head was neatly slotted against Raihan’s neck, and his barely wet groin pressed against Raihan’s but his slight erection was off put by the distress noises he whined into his mate’s skin. Raihan didn’t mind the new position at all but thought now would be a good time to ask an important question before things went farther.

“Anything you need me to do for you?” He stroked the purple locks slowly as he waited for an answer. One of the biggest things he always remembered when dealing with an in heat, sexually frustrated, and extremely hormonal omega was that letting him dictate what he needed was the best option. They’d been together long enough to know how things were supposed to go, but it never hurt to know what his omega really wanted.

“Ngh…gh…can I lay on top? My -ah…- my stomach hurts so bad -ah!- right now and you’re warm ,” He looked imploringly up at bright teal eyes that glistening in the low light from the bathroom with his own teared golden ones.

Raihan moved both of his hands to Leon’s waist and rolled onto his back, taking the smaller omega with him. Leon shifted slowly and painfully so that his nose laid against Raihan’s collarbone not too far from Raihan’s scent glands and his legs were spread to either side of the golden skinned body. He seemed comfortable but something was off.

“Could you -unh…- help me get my sweatshirt off. I’m dying here,” Leon’s hot breath brushed tantalizingly across Raihan’s neck and he shivered.

Raihan though only rumbled in response as he helped push Leon so that he was sitting on top of him. It was kinda hot that Leon was damn near sitting on Raihan’s dick and slick soaked with heat, not that the alpha would mention it right now; slowly the champion pulled his hoodie over his head and looked down with tearful lust. Raihan felt horrible for his lover as everything hurt him to move at this point, and he couldn’t even do anything about it without causing himself more pain in the process.

He reached up a hand to cup the bearded face. Leon purred into the touch as a single tear ran down his face and into Raihan’s hand. He wiped away the tear with a thumb and sat up using his other hand, pushing Leon onto his thighs in the process.

Leon shook with small tremors as Raihan guided his chin on his own and placed a slow, long kiss to the other man’s lips. The smaller was the first to pull away, and looked lovingly up at his mate. He moved his eyes downwards and placed little wet kisses along his jaw before place the lightest last one over Raihan scent gland.

Raihan took a deep inhale as Leon leaned forward and rubbed his own muscled neck against Raihan’s own to scent him. He was instantly hit with the sweetened smell of eucalyptus and now sweet spring flowers, but also with a sour note just underneath it all; Leon, on the other hand, was enraptured by Raihan’s earthly, powerful scent that made him feel like goo atop his alpha. He would have stayed there for an eternity if he wasn’t rudely interrupted.

Out of nowhere, a powerful seizure of his muscles from his vagina to his diaphragm caused him to arch away from his alpha as a cry of agony left his lips and his breathing became erratic. More tears traced down his cheeks.

“Shh, shh, shh little Leo.” Raihan gently pulled the tightly wound omega against his chest, kneading his back beneath his large hands. He felt wetness across his collarbone as another sob shook loose. “Don’t worry, I got you. I got you…”

He didn’t stop rubbing until the pulses of seized muscles ceased, and Leon all but fell forward onto Raihan. The later leaned back down onto the soft nest and continued to make lighter small circles on Leon’s toned back, crooning to him.

Sniff. “That was the first really bad one I’ve gotten,” Leon quietly said. “I don’t feel another bad one so that was probably the peak of that wave.”

Raihan sighed. “I wish I could take this away from you. I hate seeing you hurt, Leo. I just want to wrap you up and keep you safe from pain forever.”

They stayed tangled together half naked and asleep until the next big wave hit.

=

It was the middle day two, arguably the worst day by all previous accounts, so Raihan used his trump card in the “make the heat absorbed omega happy” game. After a particularly bad hour though it would definitely be needed now.

Leon fell into a restless sleep still twitching slightly, but Raihan extracted himself from the cuddling arms of his mate. He quietly made his way to the bathroom and drew a nice warm bath in the large tub with some scented bubbles, making sure everything was nice and comfy for his lover.

Speaking of, he heard a light, breathy sound from Leon, reminding him that he needed to be taken care of and shouldn’t be lolly-gagging in the bathroom. Putting some towels out for later and grabbing a hair tie, Raihan walked back to the bedroom.

The blanket was completely at the end of the bed, and Leon laid chest up with a tired and worn look on his face towards the door.

“Where’d you go -ngh!-? He looked teary again at Raihan as he sat at the edge of the nest. Teal eyes crinkled with a small smile.

“I was just getting a bath ready for you. I’ll undress you real quick if that’s ok.” Raihan stroked a hand down Leon’s face as he nodded.

The alpha reached behind Leon’s head and pull the massive shock of purple hair into a knot at the top of his head before he stood and yanked Leon’s boxer’s down to reveal his half chubbed omegan dick and leaking hole between the powerful legs. Raihan slipped his hand underneath the smaller’s leg crook and back, standing quickly, he carried Leon to the bathroom before depositing him in the warm tub.

Leon’s pain stopped temporarily as he sunk into the tub blissfully and the warm water enveloped his worn muscles all at once. He would have stayed in the water like that, but a dry washcloth smacked the bubble in front of him. Leon glared at the offender who stood next to the tub.

Raihan reached down and squeezed the knot on Leon’s head before exiting the bathroom once more, most likely to make sure that the nest was tidy for when Leon came back or to get some needed snacks.

Leon sighed as he grabbed the thrown item and pulled it under the water. He knew Raihan was doing this to be nice, but also so he wouldn’t get the nest grimier than it already was going to be by the day after tomorrow. While he wasn’t as dirty as most people during a heat, his body still made sure he was all slicked up and heated for jack shit.

He finished up washing himself as Raihan came back.

“Mind if I join?”

=

It was the beginning of the fourth day. Leon could come to expect only one or two smaller waves of pain from this day before entering his lazy post heat.

Raihan actually wasn’t in the nest unlike most other times he woke up, but the omega knew that he was in the kitchen if the light clattering of utensils and plates were any indication. He burrowed against the wall of nest pillows

Leon often thought about his and Raihan’s relationship. It’s odd nature.

When people thought of alpha and omega relations, there was always this idea of blazing, passionate sex; a pair that helped each other through their ruts and heats as a unit; a two-way street. But when Leon looked at his own relationship, all he saw was a ungiving parasite.

He couldn’t be there to help with Raihan’s rut in anyway because of the arousal issue, and Raihan couldn’t be there to mate with him during times like these because anytime there’s sexual stimulation given to him, it just causes pain even though he wants it so bad. For God sake, they couldn’t even intensely make out without Leon whimpering in pain! He knew that Raihan wanted to mate him badly every time he looked at him, but it was crushing to know that he was defective. A piece of trash omega.

Leon pulled the blanket tighter around himself as silent tears rolled down his face and into the nest. Distressed pheromones bounced everywhere around the room like whipping waves.

But suddenly there was something else. He soon was enveloped in comfort and coffee smells, the one from literal coffee and the smell that he knew came with Raihan. The side of the nest sunk behind him, and he felt a hand on his back.

“Hey, what’s wrong?” Raihan asked in a deep grovel, lower than his usual voice.

Leon just buried himself deeper into the nest. He heard a sigh as the sinking part replaced itself and moved to the other side of the bed. Raihan moved to lay on top of the blanket to hold onto the bean shaped nest lump widely known as Leon that lay under it.

Raihan just held the sniffling lump for a while knowing that Leon would tell him if he wanted to. And he did eventually.

“I just feel bad,” The lump said.

“Hm? About what?” Raihan questioned. His omega had been taken care of this heat, so there had to be another issue.

“I just…”A shaky sigh, “I just feel like I’m using you, and can’t ever give anything back to you.”

They’d talked about this before. Raihan always felt awful for Leon talking about it.

“You know that I care about you above anything else. So what, you can’t be there to help like you want. You’re always showing that you love me in different ways than just using your body. Remember after the first time I had a rut after coming over during your heat, you came by my place to get laundry, but you also brought one of my favorite foods from that hole in the wall taco place that doesn’t ever deliver. And you washed my sheets and things for me while I essentially went comatose on the couch?”

No response.

“Or what about the time you took my pokémon and played with them hours for no particular reason? Just went out and made great friends with all of your rival’s pokémon.”

The lump was still.

“Even better, when I got sick with the flu, you came by my place to check on me every day, and you kept up on all the trainers at my gym for me since I couldn’t do it myself. I wouldn’t call these not giving back.”

Slowly the cocoon unraveled, only for arms to extend around Raihan’s midsection.

“I love you so much, Rai; I don’t deserve you,” Leon sniffed.

“Hush, yeah ya’ do.” Raihan wrapped his arms back around his boyfriend. “You deserve the world, Leon. But look on the brightside, I made breakfast.”

And Leon smiled.


	2. Interlude: The Internet

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> When you live closeted private lives as celebrities.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello whores, I am back on my bullshit. Just a quick little list to get you started:  
> 1\. These don't necessarily have to do with the main storyline of Glory Sound Prep (since that will be full force next chapter), I just needed to make sure my brain juices didn't stagnate too much while I still work that out. I just wanted more details for world and relationship reasons  
> 2\. My head canon for this particular story in general is that Leon started the gym challenge at 10, became champion at 11 at the end of the six month long season, and is now 21. Piers, Sonia, and Raihan are all about the same age (ie in the same grades for school and stuff); also Raihan and Leon are in college bc Pokemon may pay the bills, but it pays to be educated  
> 3\. Additionally, if it wasn't clear from chapter one, so far the story takes place at various points in the off-season right before the sword and shield game picks up.  
> 4\. Finally, I'm pretty sure Piers in game doesn't have a thick accent, but I channeled something between southern American and whatever the fuck I wrote at 2 am. SO Yeah
> 
> This chapter takes its title from the song The Internet, mainly based off the lines, "Life became dangerous the day we all became famous, No one cares if you're happy, just as long as you claim it; How can we change this? The day we all became famous; No one cares if you have it, just as long they think you do."

Being something like movie celebrities or social media stars, Leon and Raihan were used to people watching their every move, saying things about them, or just dehumanizing them in general for lack of better words.

Raihan was known for his internet presence all over multiple regions for his daily updates and messages, and Leon, too, for being crowned the world champ at nineteen, though he posted far less than Raihan. As most only were allowed to see them through the tinted glasses of their online personas that bled into the ones shown on the field, a lot of people had the wrong ideas about them.

For Raihan on this particular day, he was dealing with something he dealt with often as a result of his public image: horny fangirls.

He’d not been at his gym when he was recognized but was leaving class at the University. While he definitely wasn’t trying to hide from anyone, especially in just plain jeans and a t-shirt, he wasn’t expecting a hand to tightly grasp onto his arm as he was walking down the sidewalk. Raihan jerked around towards the offender of his personal space only to meet the eyes of a much shorter girl he recognized from his class.

He glanced down at the hand on his arm and back up to the girl who was batting her eyelashes cutely and pushing her chest out while wearing a provocatively low top.

“Heeey, Raihan!” She giggled and bounced a little. The girl pushed closer to him as he pulled back uncomfortably.

“Um, hi there?...Can I help you?” Raihan apprehensively asked her, pulling away a little though she still had a constricted grip on his hard. He dealt with people like this often, but most were not so bold as to try and grab him, so he needed to play this carefully without causing something unnecessary.

“Do you think you could help me with something?” She asked sweetly with an overly massive smile. She had smaller fangs than an alpha would have and show, so Raihan took a wild guess that this was an omega trying to come onto him.

“Depends. If it’s for class, sure,” He laughed trying to pull his arm a little but getting nowhere.

“See, I have a problem. My heat is coming in a few weeks, and…” She paused as the look in her large round eyes glinted with something akin predatory intent, “I need a big, strong alpha to help me through it.”

It wasn’t uncommon for him to get requests like this considering his “stage” persona had this sort of “alpha energy” and a note of feralness in pokemon battles that a lot of people liked to see, but it was all a part of performing and having fun.

Raihan’s nose caught a slight whiff of an overly sweeten scent as she attempted to entice him into helping her through her heat. But to him it smelt like overly ripened fruit and a sweets shop left to die, nothing like his mate’s peaceful and fresh scent.

He smiled anxiously trying to diffuse his own nerves and giving his arm another light tug, but her fingers sunk deeper, “Um, no thanks. If it’s all the same to you, I don’t even know you.”

“But Alpha, I’ll be so alone without you,” She bemoaned and fluttered her eyes again. “If you aren’t there, I’ll just have to play by myself- Ah!”

Her sentence was cut short by Raihan tugging his arm even harder than before, causing the omegan girl to jolt a little as her fingers scratched down his arm and she got off balance.

“I said no. Don’t you know it’s rude to ask for sex even after someone has said no. Even if you’re an omega, it’s still sexual harassment,” Raihan bit out. If she had let go and left, he wouldn’t have let her down that harshly, but she insisted on continuing her plight for him.

He turned on his heels and marched in the direction he’d been going before. Raihan heard a huff of indignation behind him as he walked away without turning around.

He often felt that because of his massive public presence, people thought were entitled to do what they felt around him. He considered himself a pretty relaxed guy off the battle field, but when people treated him like he wasn’t a real person or just an object of their affection, it really got on his nerves. Raihan loved to get attention on the internet, don’t get him wrong, but he really was just a normal guy who went to college and who had a very public job and personality.

The dragon gym leader turned the corner with an indignant sign. He couldn’t wait for the day that he could tell the world about his and Leon’s relationship. Maybe then people would stop overt advances like that.

=

Leon had long become accustomed to being mercilessly speculated about on the internet at the expense of his sanity, but sometimes people really liked to hyper focus on too little of things.

This time it was triggered by a video on Tweeter.

The League would be starting in about a month at the beginning of January, setting off the next six months of pokemon competition, so the obligatory photoshoot for the upcoming season’s gym leaders was required.

They all were gathered in a studio at Rose Tower waiting for the photographer to finish setting up their equipment, and the awaiting gym leaders were treated to show in the form of Piers and Leon arguing.

“…I’m saying is that _Social Cues_ deserves a bit more respect than what you’re giving it,” Leon said adamantly. Purple hair spilling over his shoulders as he leaned forward in his chair towards a lounging Piers on the couch on the opposite side of the coffee table where random papers and drinks were strewn carelessly.

“An’ all _Ih’m_ sayin is tha’ _Tell Me Ih’m Prett’_ is far betta. Sure, new one’s got ‘Night Runnin’ n’ ‘Social Cues’ but th’ rest fall flat.” The singer moved forward and pointed at the scowling champion with a smirk. “Are ya’ really gon’ sit there n’ tell me tha’ those two alone hold a damn candle ta’ slaps like ‘Mess Around’, ‘Trouble’, ‘Ta’ Late ta’ say Go’bye’, and th’ whole f’cking rest o’ the album.”

Leon threw his hands up in exasperation. “I’m not saying it better, I’m just saying that it’s not trash like you seem to think it is.”

A laugh sounded beside Piers in the couch corner as Nessa pulled her phone down from up where she’d been silently filming the two boy’s argument.

“Oh god, were you seriously videoing that?” Leon embarrassingly muttered pulling the brim of his hat down over his face. Piers leaned back to his original lounging position with a cocked eyebrow.

“Tha’s what you get for stannin’ somethin’ tha’s garbage,” He said confidently, tossing his black and white hair back.

Leon peaked from underneath his hat to glare at the dark type gym leader, but he wouldn’t take the bait and fight the other anymore today. This was a routine they did sometimes where they would pick a fight over something stupid and mundane in the scheme of things, but they never made any real blows at each other during these “arguments”. They truly were friends with a solid relationship, but Leon and Piers did like to be mean and poke fun at each other.

The rest of the day continued without a hitch with just the leaders joking around and having fun, except their resident serious people (i.e. Bea and Kabu) who just wanted to go back to preparing for the upcoming challenge; it wasn’t often they could let their guard down around one another all together since they were usually about to battle one another.

Needless to say, Leon forgot about this particular moment until later at home. He had been studying with textbooks spread all around him on the floor in front of his couch and his partner pokemon laying in the corner when he got a text from Raihan.

It read: _go check Tweeter trending XD_

Leon sighed and rubbed his temple. This’s happened a few times before where someone would say to go check something on Tweeter or Pokegram only for there to be a lovely shitstorm brewing with him at the center. Reluctantly, he opened the app on his Rotom phone and checked trending only to instantly see what his mate was referencing.

“Leon and Piers” was a trending phrase. _Oh joy._ He could smell what this was about a mile away.

He clicked on the page and was instantly greeted by a barrage of differing tweets all sharing opinions about what they thought concerning the relationship between Leon and Piers.

And at the center of it all, was an innocent tweet from the official @watermodel_Nessa account that read “It’s not just pokemon battles folks” with an attached fifty-two second video filmed from the corner of the couch as the camera flips back and forth between Leon and Piers as they argue with a giggling Milo and Raihan watching from somewhere not too far behind the couch and Gordie rolling his eyes from the chair closest to Leon. It honestly was a funny video, but people were having a bit too much fun with it.

One tweet read, “I SHIP IT SO HAAAARD” with a bunch of emojis after it, another said “The alpha energy in this room must have been unbearable but yet I still find myself wanting to be in the center of it.”, followed by a different one saying “Piers and Leon are my new gym leader/champion ship and y’all can fight me on it”. But by far Leon’s favorite was “Piers emits such big dick alpha top vibes it hurts” which drew a giggle from the champ as he screenshotted and sent it to the dark type gym leader.

As far as he could tell no one was making any serious comments he needed to worry about, so he enjoyed browsing the subtweets. He was still slogging through all the comments speculating if Leon and Piers were dating or if they were trying to dominate one another, to the usual discussions regarding their secondary genders based off the video (since neither’s were public yet) when he got the reply from Piers.

_first off neither of us are alphas so idfk where they got that ‘alpha energy’ from and second i’ll have them know im a proud bottom so it should read ‘big dick beta bottom vibes’. thanks for coming to my ted talk cunts_

Leon proceeded to spend the next minute laughing his ass off as he fumbled his phone attempting to reply. Charizard poked his head up from his spot in the corner as his trainer lost his mind, but ultimately decided it was in his best interest to keep sleeping. Eventually getting it under control, he sent off his text back.

Leon: aljsdhflajsdh _Dude you just killed me. But yeah, they think we’re probably a couple lol_

Piers: _Oi no offense but Im into alphas and you’re too much of a spoiled brat for me to handle anyways. i’ll let dragon boy handle that._

Leon: _Hey I will have you know that I’m not a spoiled brat. You just can’t handle the best of the best ;)_

Piers: _mmmmmmhm that’s what you’d like to think_

Leon: _You’re right it is lol_

Piers: _topic change: you fine with not injecting ourselves into this shit?_

_bc i definitely am_

Leon _: Yeah I wasn’t planning on it since I usually don’t anyways. It’ll be gone by tomorrow. It always is. You sure you don’t want to go on there and defend your proper place as a proud beta bottom :)?_

Piers: _fuck you_

Leon: _You wish you could bb_

And Leon put his phone down next to himself. At least Piers wasn’t a type to get involved in petty internet rumors and drama, which Leon appreciated from the beta.

Even though incidents like these were annoying, they took a toll on him somedays with all the opinions about him flying around like he didn’t exist as a person. Especially when it was over something more serious or “controversial” than a video arguing over music albums.

His phone buzzed again getting two texts at a time, and Leon’s Rotom phone flew back in front of his face conveniently. One text was a middle finger emoji from Piers, and the other was from Raihan.

_how long do you think it’ll take them to realize that we’re actually for reals dating?_

Leon smiled. _Until either one of us blatantly confirms it or a gym leader slips up and says something dumb._

The reply was instant. _I can’t wait for the day I can tell the world I have the most beautiful, strong, wonderful person in the whole galaxy as my mate_ followed by tons of star emojis.

Leon felt a creeping blush down his neck from the praise. _Me too Rai. I almost don’t want to be champion anymore so I can tell the world I’m yours_

Raihan’s bubble went up and down for a minute before it came through. _don’t say that bc then I probably wouldn’t get to whoop your ass much on national television anymore <3\. _

He rolled his golden eyes, even though he knew Raihan couldn’t see it. _Dork <3_

=

The headline looped through his head on repeat as he laid on his bed.

“The Galar Champion: An Omega?”

Raihan had sent him the article about forty minutes ago written by a popular gossip monger journalist whose pieces tended to get a lot of traction in the media for the smooth words and controversial ideas. If the article was taken seriously by a lot of people, this could potentially cause problem. 

The article in question, like the title, implied that Leon was an omega, presenting a plethora of “evidence”, which were various things taken far out of context for them to actually mean that the champion was an omega.

Included was a picture of him taken from far away with some other gym leaders standing next to chairman Rose with his neck upwardly exposed as he tilted his head. He remembers this from a few years ago. It wasn’t a show of submission (considering he was looking directly at Rose and not down), it was really loud inside of the stadium where the picture was taken, and Leon was trying to hear what the chairman was saying, but of course the article listed it as a show of submission to the “more dominate alpha”.

Another point of the article was since the collar of his champion uniform covered his neck, he was automatically was an omega because “only omegas cover their necks”. Which, frankly, was crap in Leon’s opinion. Like, Raihan’s uniform has a collar on it for God sake and other trainers did, too, not just him!

The last point though was the worrying one as the two previous ones were clearly just attempting to magnify two normal things as omega indicators: it showed a grainy picture of Leon walking in a park at night with someone with their hoodie drawn up. The article used this picture to say that “if Leon weren’t an omega, he wouldn’t have to keep an apparent relationship a secret; there would be no need for a secret if he didn’t have something to hide from everyone”.

Leon honestly was at a loss for words scrolling over the last point repeatedly. Not only had someone been apparently following him and Raihan when they decided to go walking in the park late at night recently, she implied that Leon was hiding something besides being an omega.

His instincts were stirring deep in his guts telling him that someone could be watching him right now. Leon sat up and glanced at his windows next to the bed. They were closed since it was dark out. But someone could still be nearby. The walls seemed closer than before…Had his door always been cracked open… And his bathroom lights off--

_Bzzt!_

He damn near leaped as his phone rang with a new message. With shaking hands, he grabbed the phone he’d laid next to him on the bed.

_Hey, I’ll be there in five with some food. Hope you haven’t eaten_ Raihan’s text read followed by a kissy face.

Leon sighed with relief. Unexpected, but not unwelcome right now. But his mind leapt ahead with thoughts of Raihan being seen and followed by someone unknown. He sent a reply back.

_Alright. Be safe please <3_

He set his phone down and pulled his knees up to his chest, resting his chin across is arm. Normally things like this didn’t get under his skin, but something about this time… Leon just couldn’t shake the feeling as he waited for Raihan.

Like he said, not five minutes later he heard his door rattling as he bolted straight, his heart pounding out of his chest.

“Leeeeooo!” He heard the door slam shut. “I brought the good stuff!”

Leon practically sprinted out of his room to the front door.

Raihan, in comfy clothes and glasses with bags of food in his hands, was not expecting an arm full of Leon to hit him faster than a flying attack.

“He-hey,” Raihan laughed as Leon buried his head into his chest and squeezed like his Raihan was his life preserver. “Can I at least put the food down first?”

Raihan heard a muffled ‘no’ from his chest but the hold relented as Raihan was able to move again. He walked past the clingy omega and set the stuff down on the counter. The good stuff as it seemed was burgers from a good place in Hammerlocke that Leon really liked to get but often couldn’t because of his schedule and always getting lost on the way there.

Leon followed him like a pup until Raihan turned back around from the counter. He looked up with big golden eyes, and Raihan laughed at him.

“You really think that’s gonna work on me?” He squinted his eyes half way behind his glasses and looked at his mate. Leon gently laced his hands with Raihan’s and pushed himself flush with the much taller trainer. The chest beneath him breathed a sigh.

“You know it always does.” The teal eyed man almost sounded defeated, but there was a little joking note there that made Leon smile into the fabric.

“Everyone knows you’re whipped for me.” Leon moved his head so he could look directly up at his mate and smile. It was kind of comical that all of Leon’s five-nineishness only reached the middle of Raihan’s chest.

Raihan smiled, showing off his fangs. “I can’t deny that; I’m a sucker for my mate. What’s up tonight, though?” He removed his hands from Leon’s only to wrap them around his waist and leaned them back against the counter. “You kinda attacked me as soon as I set foot in the door.”

Then Raihan got a hint of a Leon’s barely there scent.

It smelt like fear.

Leon let out a shaky breath into the sweatshirt. “That picture… It… I won’t lie Rai, it scares me. It’s not even that they have a picture of us, it’s that they were there without us knowing. Stalking us.”

He felt an arm move from the omega’s waist to his head as Raihan played with the purple locks.

“Me too. That’s kinda why I came over spontaneously tonight. I felt… I don’t even really know… I felt scared both of us, and… I knew it would be better with you. Everything’s better with you.”

The look on his alpha’s face wasn’t one of confidence as he looked off to the side; even the “stronger” secondary gender got scared. Leon reached a hand up to thumb Raihan’s cheek.

“Well, we’re together now so why don’t we turn on some tv and eat,” He suggested.

His mate turned back and gave him kiss across the knuckles with a little smile. “Alright. I got the good burgers by the way.”

Leon’s face lit up. Raihan could have sworn he saw stars in his eyes as he nearly forgot about their previous conversation. “Then why are we not eating? They’re going to get cold!”

The smaller detached and made a mad grab for the bags on the counter as Raihan let out a snort. He couldn’t help but admire the way Leon’s hair floated around like a halo and his arm muscles flexed slightly as he unpacked the two sacks. Leon stopped, but Raihan didn’t stop staring.

“…Raihan!” Leon said as his alpha shook out of his thoughts.

“Hmm?” Was the intelligent reply

“I asked what you were doing,” Leon raised an eyebrow at him with a little smile.

Raihan grinned as he came around the counter and slipped a hand around his mate’s tinier waist.

“Just wondering what I did to earn you as the best friend, rival, and mate I could ever have asked for.” He leaned down to place a gentle kiss to Leon’s forehead. Leon looked up with a blush and a squint.

“Raihan I swear you make me cramp up I will not hesitate to go get Charizard from the room over and kick your ass.”

Raihan just laughed.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Me in Google Chrome finishing my school's yearbook intro page: "...set a solid foundation of Christ-like behavior and examples for the people going into the world..."
> 
> Me literally one tab over in Word: *typing the bIg GhEy*
> 
> it is what it is. say hi please! I haven't left my house in nearly two weeks!


	3. Conversations with my Wife

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> They'll say that I fell off, and it's alright.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The emperor of commas and semicolons is BACK BABY!!!! ok, so I spent from 11am 'til 8pm writing only 5694 words so there's that. I wrote this chapter a whole three times and each one just sucked so much ass in terms of plot, but this, I felt, was the way I needed to go. Unlike my previous versions, this chapter actually fit in with the plot of the previous two! WHODATHUNK???
> 
> Also, keen eyed viewers will notice that this story is no longer anon. That's because the person who I thought knew about this account bc they read an old (orphaned) story of mine didn't actually know my pseud, just the name of the story and depended on me snapping them when I updated. I'm a fucking idiot for not asking them until i already finished chapter two. so wooooooooo
> 
> Inspired by the song Conversations with my Wife by Jon Bellion

“So, let me get this straight.” Sonia took a drink of her now lukewarm tea and stretched across the corner booth her and Leon currently occupied. “After losing the title of champion, you were planning on revealing the whole omega thing, but now you’re rethinking it all? Even after you talked it though with him?”

Leon stared down into his not-so-hot coco, pondering the separating cream as it swirled lazy circles. “Yeah… Before the league approached me about taking over as chairman, I thought I could finally do it. Just… come out. I was thinking that since it wouldn’t directly affect my image I could do it. At that point, it would just be like ‘Oh, he’s not champion anymore, so it won’t be as big of a deal if he was an omega or not’ or some shit, but I’m in charge now. People will expect me to be like the strong alpha that Rose was, to occupy that same space, ya know?”

Sonia brushed a piece of hair out of her face, only to twirl it thoughtfully at Leon. As Leon’s best friend and an omega, she definitely had an idea of what Leon was going through that the moment; Arceus, she’d even faced the same dilemma when she inherited the lab coat from her grandmother. 

“Leon, I love you and you know this, you’re not Rose, so do not try to compare yourself to that rubbish man. We can literally see with the Darkest Day and Rose that ‘strong alphas’,” She tossed up some angry air quotes for effect, “don’t always mean strong moral people. You’re one of the best people I know who is equipped to handle the Galar League, and not just because you were champion for ten years. You’re kind, caring, and you know how to get a job done. ‘Your character and actions should speak louder than your secondary gender’ is what Grandma Magnolia told me before I put my secondary gender on my professor portfolio.”

“But what if that won’t change anything?” Leon flicked his eyes up to the bright green ones. “One wrong slip and people will say it’s because I’m an omega, or that I’m ill prepared to be in such a position of power. I know we’ve come a long way in recent years, but Tweeter won’t hesitate to lampoon me at the first chance.”

He crossed his arms over his chest and leaned back. The former champion had been mulling over the options in his head for days now, but it was all just a continuous cycle of what ifs and scenarios. Leon had even asked Raihan for his opinion, but the alpha said, “Do what you feel’s right. I’ll support you.” Of course, he’d never had to think about people’s opinion of his secondary gender because he never had anything to hide.

“And when has that ever affected you?”

Leon tilted his head. “Come again?”

“I said,” Sonia leaned forward with a little twinkle in her eye. “When have people opinion’s like that ever affected you? Tweeter finds someone new to attack every week, and they’ve been speculating about you for years. If you finally show your colors, what are they seriously going to do to you? Tell you that you lost because you were an omega even though you’ve always been one? The jerks will through with slurs, but they’re just cowards behind a screen. I don’t think that there is anything that they could do to seriously harm you, Leon.”

Leon didn’t have much to say to that. She was right, of course, but he couldn’t help but feel this sense of doubt worming through his core. He would just have to kill it, so he smiled a little at the corner of his mouth. He would just have to break free. Leon was going to finally do it.

=

It all hit the fan pretty fast. One minute he was in the middle of working on paper work at Raihan’s kitchen table after deciding to stay over the weekend at his, the next he got a single text from Piers. It was a link.

There was an attached text, but Leon didn’t look after seeing the headline preview. The link opened to some drama site post retweet, and the headline made Leon’s stomach churn and hands go cold instantly.

“Former champion an Omega and in a relationship? Exclusive recording of Professor Sonia and Chairman Leon confirms long speculations!”

The article openly outed Leon using quotes of himself and Sonia talking, with all the “non-juicy” parts spliced out, but somehow mentions of Raihan were nowhere to be found by some miracle. The writer concluded with, “If Leon kept this from us for so long, then how do we know that he won’t just be another Rose who keeps secrets from Galar as the new chairman?”

He knew that someone would have found out after that issue with someone following him and Raihan that night in the park. _Stupid! I should have been more careful!_

Leon tears escaped down his face as he slapped a hand over his mouth to muffle the sob. It was all out now. He couldn’t do anything about it. _Idiot!_ Wet lashes clamped tight as tried to breath. His hands were shaking. _How could you let this happen so easily?_ Leon could smell his own grass fire scent of distress, growing rapidly and choking him out. Killing him. How did this happen? How did they know? What was going to happen to him now? It was all over.

His Rotom was dinging with new messages, but he couldn’t look. He couldn’t. Leon could vaguely smell Raihan somewhere nearby, or maybe it was just the residual scent that lingered in the apartment. He wanted the alpha, but he didn’t want to face him.

_I was supposed to tell them all. I let him down..._

_I let him down!_

More sobs shook his shoulders, as he noticed a calming scent. Raihan. Leon didn’t open his eyes; he didn’t want to see. He couldn’t. _How can I face the mate I failed? After I finally told him I was going to do it?_

“Leo?” He heard softly next to him.

Leon could still smell the grass fire, but it was slowly being mixed in with the yet unburnt pines and fresh, clean air of the mountains. He sensed Raihan was sitting next to him on the table, probably pushed his papers back so he sat close but not too close. Leon sat with his hand still over his mouth, the other tightly wound on the table in a thumb-hugging fist, and his eyes shut tight. The former champion didn’t want to acknowledge his mate.

“Hey, Leo… can I touch you? Are you ok with that?” Raihan asked gently.

Leon hadn’t known it, but Raihan (God bless him) had been sitting there for a few minutes now, while Leon clearly was way far out of the present reality, trying to edge his own scent into the gagging one that he smelt from all the way across the apartment. Raihan had been sent the article too by Piers with an attached text sent a few minutes after that said, “ _check on leon. he hasn’t responded to me”._ It was a bit null by that point, as he could already sense the distress, but the thought was appreciated.

Rotom looked to be at a bit of a loss but sat silently on the table even as Raihan could see the onslaught of notifications pouring in now, texts and tweets alike flooded the poor phone. He beckoned the pokémon to hands, before he whispered to it to silence the notifications for the moment and go hang out with his Rotom in the other room. The ‘mon nodded and zipped away. Leon, unaware of these things, just barely nodded his head to Raihan’s question that had been asked a few long moments ago.

The omega flinched as Raihan touched his hand that laid on the table. Raihan carefully handled it onto his lap where he stroked the smaller man’s knuckles, watching him closely. He was trying to be as calm and supportive as he could, but inwardly he was simultaneously concerned for Leon and insanely pissed at whoever covertly recorded a private talk between two best friends. He would deal with the secondary later, but right now Leon needed care not a war.

“You know what I find funny?” Raihan quietly mused, still holding Leon’s hand. He needed Leon to focus back and get out his own head. The alpha moved the hand that was touching palms with Leon’s so that their hands were lined up as well as they could; Raihan’s dwarfed Leon’s in length, but Leon’s were thicker and more muscular like a farm boy’s.

“When we were kids you used to be bound and determined that you would get taller than me. You would always grab my hands and compare the sizes to see if you were getting bigger or not.” He stopped and hummed as he caressed the small scars that stood out starkly on the tan skin that all trainers get after years of handling pokémon. “I can’t remember when, but at some point, you stopped comparing our hands when you hadn’t grown in like two years or something. I always liked it when you did that, and I could feel your hands. Like, it always just feels intimate in a way?” He considered.

Leon let out a shaky, breathless laugh as he moved his hand away from his mouth to his temple, covering his eyes. “You know, I knew I wasn’t going to get bigger. Omegas rarely grow past 5’ 11’,” His scratchily said before cleaning his throat. “I thought if I was taller, people would think I’m stronger. Maybe they wouldn’t consider me weak.”

“How could they think that you aren’t strong?” Raihan laughed. “ _I,”_ He puffed out his chest and said with a snotty voice, “am your greatest rival. And you sincerely kicked my ass for years in official matches. Like constantly dude. Don’t you know you’re going to hurt your poor _poor_ alpha’s pride at this rate,” He joked.

Leon tried to smile at his mate’s attempts to cheer him up, but it looked more like a grimace. He kept looping back to it all in his head. What was going to happen to him now? He’d spent days mulling over what he should do, and he finally figured out how he was going to announce and come out, but there went that plan into the wind.

“Hey.” One of Raihan’s hands moved to brush across Leon’s pulled back hair. “You know I don’t mean that.”

“I know,” Leon sighed and shook. “I’m just… coming to terms with it all, I guess.”

The gym leader shifted a little closer to be more in front of Leon. “Hm? Want to talk about it?”

Leon sat for a second, just feeling the warmth of Raihan’s hand on his and the gentle touch on his head. He didn’t know if he could even talk about it. He wanted to cry, scream, punch something and hide at the same time.

“I honestly…I just- I just don’t know what I feel right now. I mean, I should have seen this coming after that picture of us walking alone in the park came up months ago. I should have been more careful-,” His voice cracked. He took his hand off of his eyes, looking at the table with red-splotched and tear striped face as he rested a wet hand on the table. “I was going to tell them Raihan! But now everyone is going to think that I lied to them all!” His voice rose up as he thumped his hand against the table frustratingly.

“They won’t trust me again. Even if I tell people why I never explained anything, they’ll still doubt it as true.” Leon was definitely crying again. Tears falling faster than before and dropping onto his shirt and his lap. “Why can’t I do anything right?”

He felt the hand in his hair move to face and wipe the salty streams off, and Leon saw Raihan sigh as he wiped the wet hand against his sweats.

“Look at me, Leo,” He said firmly in a quiet tone. Leon dragged his eyes away from the empty spot on the table to Raihan. He stared at the collar of the taller’s sweatshirt. He didn’t want to look him in the face. Raihan noticed this and gently tilted his head up to see the golden eyes. It hurt to see Leon like this. Maybe he could have protected him better. He should have been a better alpha.

“Don’t say that you can’t do anything right. You’re in no way obligated to tell anyone about your secondary gender. No one is. But they ripped away something as precious as coming out away from you, and that’s an awful thing that they did to you,” Raihan’s own voice wavered a little. He wouldn’t cry. Not now when he needed to be strong for Leon. Stupid empathy. “They can’t say that you lied to them since you never officially talked about being alpha, beta, or omega. Sure, you didn’t tell them, but that not the same as lying to them, Leo. You had your social and personal reasons to not make a statement. So, do not sit there and say you’re worthless.

"You did not do a bad thing; all you did was work through things at your own pace. I wish it would have gone differently, but I won’t have you sit there and beat yourself up about ‘should have’ and ‘could haves’ when the deed is already done. We all wish we could change things, Leo, and I wish I could have done something to change it for you-,” Raihan’s voice involuntarily cracked again. He sighed and looked down at their interlocked hands.

“But I’m here now. You mean the universe to me, and I wouldn’t change that for a second.” He moved and raised Leon’s other hand to bring both of them together in front of his heart. “I know you, and I know you’ll pull through this. Don’t let the people who did a horrible thing win.”

The gym leader couldn’t stop it as his eyes watered at the corners looking at Leon’s miserable face. He wanted to tuck him away from the rest of the world for eternity, but that wasn’t an option.

Leon’s thoughts were all over the place after Raihan’s words sunk in, and he looked into the damp eyes of his mate. He didn’t have anything to follow it up with, so he stood.

With Raihan sitting on the table, Leon could wrap his arms all the way around him as he pulled him to a hug. Leon buried his head into the scent gland on the alpha’s neck, inhaling the calming scent that had the slightest bit of sharp sadness mixed in with it. Leon felt Raihan’s wet eyes against neck as Raihan snaked his arms around his waist to pull Leon closer.

They stayed like that for a long while.

=

The Galar gym leaders, bless their hearts, are some of the best coworkers Raihan and Leon could have asked to have.

After the news broke and their Tweeter accounts were flooded with @’s about if they could confirm/if they knew about Leon, they all came to a collective agreement that they would say that it was Leon’s business, not theirs to divulge. Even notorious smack talker Bede didn’t say a word about the situation, and just continued to harass Hop and Gloria in a semi-friendly manner like usual without a peep about anything.

Other regions champions and gym leaders that he knew at a professional or friendly level like Lance told people to stop bugging them about it. Someone’s secondary gender wasn’t theirs to comment on about anyways, not to mention that they didn’t know in the first place.

Everyone was letting Leon say the first word.

A day or two after the initial break, Leon decided to pull some strings and contact a talk show host he’d known for a few years in Wyndon that wouldn’t be a pushy journalist like most since he’d been on her show a few times over the years he was champion. Ruby, and her level beta presence, soothed some of Leon’s fears about going onto the show to discuss the “controversy” after they both outlined the questions that were ok to be discussed.

Ruby was doing her opening bit as Leon stood behind the stage and nervously adjusted his jacket. At Raihan’s better sense of fashion judgement and direction, he’d opted to wear something casual but fitting of a chairman. He was wearing fitted jeans and clean white Converse with an untucked plain white button covered with a casual navy sports coat. His hair was down like usual, but not straightened, which he never wore in public, so his wave and tiny curls lazed over his shoulders.

At Leon’s own request, his mate begrudgingly stayed home. He knew he had Raihan’s support in everything, but this was something he needed to do himself.

“…Here to set the record straight, former champion and Galar League Chairman, Leon!” Ruby announced as he exited from behind the curtain and onto the stage to roaring cheer and applause.

He smiled wide, swallowing his own fear in the process, and shook Ruby’s offered hand as he took a seat at one of the two chairs in the center of the stage.

“It’s great to have you here with us today, Leon!” She said taking a sip of her coffee. “I hope you’re doing well today.”

“I am, thank you. I had to fight off my pokémon when I left the house this morning. I think they remember you playing with them after last time I was here. Swish the Aegislash I think likes you more than me!” He chuckled as Ruby laughed.

“He just likes playing with my aegislash, I swear! But as much as I would like to keep talking about my baby boy Swish, there’s a reason why you’re here today,” Ruby transitioned as the screen against the back of the stage pulled up the article headline. “You contacted me a few days ago about discussing the ‘allegations’ on my show,” She air quoted, “which really aren’t allegations at all.”

Leon took a breath. “No, they aren’t. What the article discusses is a privately recorded conversation between one of my best friends Professor Sonia and I about trying to avoid something just like this, and I believe it’s owed an explanation so there are no misconstructions about me or my secondary gender. So, sorry to anyone who was banking on it being otherwise for whatever reason, but I truly am an omega.”

There were few mutters in the audience but were silenced by the stagehands in the front rows. Ruby took control before anything went off track.

“So, just to be clear, you in no way sanctioned this article to be published? I want to make sure since there have been a few posts theorizing that this was an intentional leak.” Ruby held onto her mug as she looked on thoughtfully as Leon shook his head.

“No ma’am, this was published without any consultation to me or anyone concerned with the league. They cherry-picked what they wanted from the recording, but this conversation was actually about me coming out. I never did officially as champion, and I was initially planning to after I lost the title. But, after the Galar League board approached me to possibly take the seat of chairpersons, I was at a loss of whether or not I still should.”

Ruby went in with one of the agreed questions. “Were you concerned about old stigmas with omegas?”

“Yes. Totally and honestly,” He said without hesitation. “I was scared of what people would say about me, and that people would not see me as strong chairman or as another Rose for keeping this out of the public eye.”

“I get that. You told me before the show that there were mainly two specific reasons why you didn’t make a statement during your ten-year reign, right?” Ruby lead in. This was another agreed specific question that Leon wanted her to ask. He decided that everyone would get to know from his own mouth, not someone else’s.

“Well besides the obvious reason of just not wanting my personal life out in the open, my first real reason was that I wanted anyone to feel like they could challenge me as champion. I did not want challengers thinking that they could beat me and take my spot just by being alphas, or omegas not thinking that they were as strong as their competitors. I wanted people to see me as a beacon for all secondary genders. No matter what people are, I wanted the best fight that I could find. That isn’t against other champions who are a bit more open about their private lives, but this was a personal conviction that I wanted to display during my time.”

Leon stopped for a moment. He was about go for the big one. Then he remembered all the support from his friends, family, and coworkers. They were all behind him on this. He could do it.

“And the second reason is a lot more personal. What I’m about to discuss is something that very very few people know – even most of my friends won’t know this – because I have been insanely self-conscious about for years.” 

Ruby reached a hand across and patted on the armrest in silent support. He’d made sure to tell her about this before the show so she would be in the know incase anything happened.

“Ever since I presented, I have been living with a very rare kind of vaginal atrophy. It makes my heats absolute hell to deal with to the point where I’ve passed out because of pain. Medicine doesn’t work for the pain anymore, and it’s still unclear if I will ever be able to have pups of my own because of its effect on my heat,” Leon said. The audience was dead quiet, and all the attention was on him.

“My own hormones trigger something in my nervous system during heats that causes muscle spasms and my pelvic muscles to cramp and lock. Ruby, I cannot describe the agony that I feel when it comes. Being an omega is one thing but being possibly viewed as defective or as not good enough for your own secondary gender is one of the hardest things I have had to come to terms with over the years.”

Leon’s brows drew in and a look of confidence and resolve that most people only see on the field took over. “But I want to speak out now because people need to understand something that I myself struggle with and still do often. Just because you were born different should _never_ impede your ability to succeed as a person. For so long I have been of the mindset that if people knew all this about me, they would magnify my small mistakes that everyone makes and take them out of context, warping it as a byproduct of my condition and secondary gender.

“And now that people know from my own mouth the truth of the matter, I want people to do what I haven’t and live as their true selves every day. Don’t waste your days being someone you’re not or letting other people make assumptions about yourself like I have.”

There it was. It was all out now. The whole world knew Leon’s biggest shame and secret.

The crowd sat dead quiet until someone in the crowd slowly clapped, and the whole room broke into a standing uproar of hollers and cheers. It almost felt like being in the center of Wyndon again.

“Leon, can I give you a hug?” Ruby warbled as she thumbed at her eyes. He’d been so focused on his spiel that he didn’t even notice the host’s eyes had started watering. She stood as he did and gave him a tight squeeze. The crowd went wild, and he glanced over to see that everyone was smiling in the audience as he smiled to himself. This definitely went better than he thought it would. 

After they separated and things finally settled down in the room, Ruby’s makeup somehow remained immaculate as she dabbed away at her eyes with a tissue brought by the stage hands. She had only been in the know about his condition until right before the show when they were discussing things earlier, but she hadn’t known about the ending bit.

“Leon,” she put her tissue into a small waste bin on the other side of her chair. “That was one of the best ways I think you could have put that. I mean this in a not cheesy way, but it was brave of you to come onto the show today and say that. You could have come out to talk smack about the people that started this, but instead you want people to learn from your mistakes and be themselves. That’s a bold move.”

“And I just want to say if anyone is like me and it takes you a long time to come to terms with yourself,” He laughed lightly, “Then I hope you find the greatest people to be there with you along the way. My family and friends have been some of my biggest supporters in coming here today, and I would not be here without them. And I have to say a special thank you to the gym leaders and other league members who were in the know that let me say my piece first. It meant the world to me.”

Ruby’s eyes twinkled. Leon could tell she was starting the endgame of their interview, the part that Ruby had been dying to get to after they talked about it backstage.

“I noticed that there’s something we haven’t addressed about the article yet.” She gestured to the screen still showing the headline: “Former champion an Omega and in a relationship? Exclusive recording of Professor Sonia and Chairman Leon confirms long speculations!”

Leon’s eyebrow quirked at the screen, the corner of his mouth twitching up before he steeled his face in an effort to keep down the excitement.

“Oh, yeah the relationship part of the headline,” He mused before turning back to Ruby. “I’ve been in a relationship with an absolutely amazing alpha for three years now.”

The audience oh’ed and ah’ed there was even a wolf whistle somewhere as the news fluttered over the crowd.

“Making sure the air is clear here, why did you never answer one of the most asked about you? About if you were in a relationship or not?” Ruby asked. She was nearly jolting in her seat from excitement at what she was going to reveal in a minute, and Leon was inwardly too.

“Hmmm,” Leon hummed bringing a thoughtful hand to his chin before he shrugged. He already knew the answer, but he would play along with Ruby’s bit. “Both of us didn’t want it to affect our jobs. We both are in the public eye a lot, so we both agreed to keep our relationship on the down low while I was champion. But since then, we decided we want to go public with our relationship.”

Ruby enthusiastically turned to the audience. “Guys, when I say I about bowled over in shock when I learned about this an hour ago, I really mean it. Leon can confirm that I nearly died.”

“I thought I killed you!” Leon laughed. Anticipation built up in his chest rapidly.

“I was given the pleasure of helping to reveal to you all Leon’s mate. Though he won’t be joining us today, let’s get that amazing picture up!” She waved at the screen as it changed from the headline to a picture.

It was a picture that Leon took last Christmas of Raihan. At Leon’s family’s wooloo farm, there was a runt born that wasn’t particularly keen on surviving with its mom out in the cold fields, so his mother was keeping it inside to nurture it. The picture itself though was Raihan sitting in the living room next to the lit tree on the floor with the newborn wooloo cradled in his arms, and he had the sweetest and most tranquil look on his face as he bottles the runt. It looked so tiny and cute in his arms as he feeds it, and it’s one of the few pictures that Leon has of Raihan where the other isn’t trying to pose or try to look cool.

The crowd absolutely screamed and cheered whenever the picture went up, and it registered who that was in the picture.

Leon let out a breath he hadn’t even realized he’d been holding. Everything was finally out in the open. He was _free._

“Yes, yes, I had the same reaction!” Ruby smiled and waved excitedly around at the audience, then she turned back to Leon. “Is it alright to tell everyone how you got together with the most popular gym leader in Galar?”

“Sure,” Leon smiled. “There isn’t much to it. We’ve known and liked each other for a long time, and it all just came together a few years ago. He actually was the one who made the move after an exhibition match a few years since I’m a bit dense when it comes to this stuff.” He blushed and rubbed the back of his neck.

“But I know a lot of people are thinking, ‘were they really rivals?’”

“Oh, yes. We always promised before matches to go a hundred percent at each other, no matter if we are dating or not. Everything we did on the field was real.” Leon smiled softly thinking about him and Raihan always hugging after their matches in the locker room, complementing and saying that the other almost always had them.

“That’s so sweet! We will have to take it to commercials here in a second but thank you so much for standing up and coming on today, Leon. It’s always a pleasure having you here.” Ruby said sincerely.

Leon beamed. “Thanks for having me.”

=

“I think that went pretty well,” Leon pondered aloud against Raihan’s chest. After coming home to a happily crying alpha who couldn’t stopped peppering him with praise and kisses, he changed into something comfier and sprawled atop Raihan as they watched some Pokémon nature documentary on Raihan’s couch. Raihan, who had been on his phone, looked down with a quirked brow and an expression that reeked of “really?”.

“Why are you giving me that look? Are you mad about the wooloo picture thing?” Leon giggled.

“ _Yes_ ,” Raihan whinned and deflated under Leon. “People think I’m cute and won’t stop making memes of it.”

Leon laughed. “Well, I think you’re cute. What’s the matter with that?”

“You’re allowed to think I’m cute because you’re my boyfriend, but I swear if I get a gym challenger next year who brings up the picture, you’re dead to me.” Raihan pouted and put his arms around Leon.

“Awwww, don’t kill me Rai.” It was Leon’s turn to whine. “Besides, I think that picture is kinda hot. My strong alpha caring for that tiny wooloo baby,” He follows with a sigh.

He could tell Raihan was preening at the attention from the strong smell of trees and coffee Leon was inhaling.

“So, you like seeing me taking care of things?” Raihan questioned to the open air as he moved to stare at the ceiling. He was thinking about something; whatever it was, Leon couldn’t tell. Raihan chest rattled as he hummed in thought, and the former champion heard his heartbeat pick up. The taller shifted and slid Leon off his chest and onto the couch as he stood up. He tilted his head and smiled, “Be right back. I have something for you.”

Leon, confused, sat up and watched the trainer retreat into his room. He couldn’t help but think that was odd he got dumped off quite unceremoniously.

“Hey! Close your eyes! It’s a surprise!” He heard from the bedroom.

Leon rolled his eyes before he closed them. He would play along with Raihan’s game.

“Ok, they’re closed,” He said as he leaned back on the couch and crossed his arm.

“You sure?” Raihan joked from the other room still.

“No, I’m sure I’m back home in Postwick. Yes, they’re closed!” Leon tossed back laughing.

He heard the floor creak over the quiet sounds of the TV documentary as Raihan made his way back into the living room. Leon could tell that Raihan had come to a stop in front of him from his scent. It smelt…nervous?

“You can open them now,” The alpha said.

When he opened his eyes, Leon saw Raihan in his sweats and plain t-shirt still, kneeling in front of him with a small black box in his hands, inside of which was a simple gold band.

“I was thinking that if you like it so much when I care for things, would you mind if I cared for you ‘til the end?” He shakily said, nervousness pervading his scent fully now.

Leon’s eyes went wide as he studied what was actually happening in front of him. He hadn’t taken a breath in a second until he literally had to think to breathe again. _Oh, he’s actually proposing,_ his brain helpful supplied.

Raihan hadn’t expected the former champion to tackle him to the rug on the floor in a messy kiss. When he came up huffing for air, the golden eyes above him looked down so lovingly it him.

“Of course, Raihan.” Leon’s nose touched Raihan’s as the happy eucalyptus smell exploded around him.

“I’ll be by your side always if you would have me.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> NO MORE FOLLOWERS WE'LL BOTH GET LOST WHEN ITS ME AND YOU INSIDE REAL LIFE!!!
> 
> ight. one more shit show and we're done with this performance. all I want to say is that Swish the Aegislash is because I always read SwSh as "Swish", and that if someone takes the ability to come out (whatever that entails for you) away from you dm me bc it'll be on sight on jah. That's all for now folks.
> 
> EDIT: I meant to add this when I first posted this, but vaginal atrophy irl is not what I've described it as in the story as far as I can tell. I just hated calling it a "condition" without giving a name (tbh it felt dehumanizing in a way), so when I had Leon come out, I wanted to name the beast that's been haunting him, so to speak. All this to say though that I am not trying to misrepresent people with v.a., I really just think it would fit into an A/B/O world like this. Thanks peeps.


	4. Outro: Stupid Deep

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> It all comes together.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello, I am arrived. Did miss me? Did you have safe?
> 
> So, this is it. This is our last ride with "Glory Sound Prep" as we know it on this day. I did not go back a reread my notes or the chapters before writing this, so I'm praying that its at least half way satisfactory and compliant with what I've written so far, but I just knew I needed to get this done.
> 
> This chapter is based of the song "Stupid Deep" by Jon Bellion from the album Glory Sound Prep (duh). I don't own this in the slightest.

_What if who I hoped to be was always me?_

_=_

Looking in the mirror, Leon’s anxiety clawed at his stomach as he looked as his appearance.

The black suit was simple yet elegant. Tailored waist flaring out at his upper hips added an illusion of a smaller waistline beneath the buttoned jacket, and the perfectly cut slacks didn’t make him look too short by being too high or low. He turned his wrist slightly as the gleaming golden cufflinks caught in the beginnings of the waning light from the window; a gift that he’d received as an heirloom from his father depicting the Galar coat of arms.

His eyes traveled up to the barely iridescent white bow tie next to the white flower pinned to his lapel, then to his face. Nothing much had been changed to it except for the smallest edition of golden liner on just the outer edge of his waterline. A simple accent suggested by Sonia but applied by Nessa’s expert hand. Another one of her “suggestions” (read: insistences) was a clip-on cartilage piece that clung to the outer edge of his ear since he didn’t have his pierced like Raihan. It created the impression of small golden flowerets inlaid with purple stones blossoming from the curve of his right ear that tapered off into a thin, dangling chain of matching color.

Though, his favorite part was his hair as it reminded him of his hometown, Postwick. Most of it laid flat in, albeit neatened versions of, his natural curls, but strands from the sides of the front were brought to the back in an orderly braid atop the tresses. He’d always loved the stylish braiding designs from Postwick, but after becoming champion, the look was deemed too “omegan” for him to wear by Rose, although people of all genders and race wore in braids as they were easier to manage during the farming days. It was harder to see from his angle, but if he turned just right, he could catch a glimpse of a white flower pinned into the top of the braid.

“Do you like it?” A voice asked behind him. In the mirror’s edge, he saw Sonia watching him examine her handiwork. He honestly couldn’t have made himself look this good if he tried even though he’d been to what felt like and probably was hundreds of PR events. He smiled wide and big at the reflection.

“I love it,” He said giddily. And he wasn’t lying, Leon did love it. Yet, that ripping feeling in his stomach hadn’t subsided.

_=_

_And the love I fought to feel was always free?_

_=_

“But do you think _he’ll_ like it?” He asked a bit less excitedly as a worrying scent wafted lightly around him. There was only one person whose opinion he cared about at the current moment. Everyone else could think what they wanted to think, but he couldn’t bear the thought of disappointing the one he wanted to impress.

“Are you serious, Leon?” Sonia rolled her eyes. “You could show up in a sweatshirt and shorts, and he would think that you were the most beautiful thing in the world. He’ll only complain about not getting the casual cloths memo.”

Leon huffed a laugh. “You’re right, but… what if he doesn’t like it. Objectively speaking. Like what if it’s _too_ much?”

Sonia moved to stand next to him in the mirror. “Objectively speaking, you look absolutely stunning. No offense to the great job I did, but I know he cares more about the person beneath the suit than the suit and decorations itself. He loves you, Leon, you know that.”

“Yeah, but-- “

“No ‘buts’,” Sonia said firmly. “Accept the fact that you’re allowed to be handsome and beautiful before I tell Hop that you’re beating yourself down, and he bounds his campy butt in here to talk your ear off about how great you are and how you’re-- “

“Ok!” Leon laughed, “I get your point. I just want everything to be perfect.”

Sonia patted his shoulder reassuringly with a small smile of her own. “Don’t we all.”

_=_

_What if all the things I’ve done; were just attempts at earning love?_

_=_

A knock at the door caused them to jump a little as it opened to reveal the smiling face of his mother peeking in. The silver satin dress she wore shimmered in the golden rays of the sun.

“Are you two ready?” She asked softly. “It’s about time for the first parties to start walking.”

“I guess that’s my cue.” Sonia patted again before walking back over to her chair to grab the bouquet she’d discarded on the table next to it. She quickly moved past Leon’s mom at the door to get to her spot in the procession down the hall as quick as possible, leaving the two family members staring at one another. His mother spoke first.

“You look beautiful, angel,” She intoned softly.

“Thanks, mum,” He said as he stole one last glance at the mirror before he moved away to the door. It would be the last look he’d get for a bit; had to make sure he didn’t look like a hot mess no matter how much he felt like one.

She held out her hand for him to take; she was only five inches shorter than him, so it didn’t look too comical from an outside prospective as they made their way into the hallway. Usually, the alpha would be in his mother’s place, but in the absence of his father and a general shift in society’s stance over the tradition in the past few years, he opted to have the most important woman to him be there by his side.

“Don’t be nervous, Leon.” She patted with her other hand reassuringly, releasing a calming, motherly scent he'd never quite been able to place except that it smelt like home to him.

“Nervous? Why would I be nervous?” He said with a definitely-not-nervious tone in his voice.

“You’re shaking dear.” His mother grinned knowingly.

“I’m sorry.” Leon scratched the back of his head, carefully avoiding the orate creation resting there. “My emotions are so jumbled right now, I don’t know… I don’t know how to feel honestly.”

His mother looked up concernedly at him. “Well, you do feel happy and assured about this, right?”

He nodded.

“That’s what counts. The nerves and the anxiety will fade, but the joy and love will shine through. I promise,” She assured.

They came to a stop before a large set of dark oak doors where upon the other side they could hear music playing. His mother signaled off to someone standing beside the door who touched an ear piece that he spoke quietly into.

Leon heard the current music fade off in what felt like an instant before the music turned into one that signaled his arrival. The man off to the side held up five fingers in count down.

_5._

Leon took a breath.

_4._

His mother smoothed her waist.

_3._

Leon squeezed her hand.

_2._

She tightened the hand back.

_1._

He blinked.

Leon heard the doors open, and his golden eyes fluttered open to see the spectacle in front of him.

The crowd had stood to honor his arrival, but none of those eyes on him mattered to Leon at that moment. All he saw was the person at the very front of the aisle ahead.

Raihan was dressed in a similar suit to Leon’s but wore a normal tie instead of a bow tie. In the absence of the iconic headband, the loc jewelry in his hair glinted in the beginning sunset, but Leon couldn’t tear his eyes from the striking teal one’s that were trained on him since the doors opened a moment ago.

He felt his mother move next to him, and, in order to not make a complete fool of himself, stepped with her. Normally a bride would hold a bouquet, but both him and Raihan agreed on the simple lapel pins as a sign of equality between them. Others could do it all they liked, yet they knew this was the right move for the both of them.

As they grew closer, the window became bigger for him to see more of the front. To his left Sonia stood with a wreath of leaves and flowers in her hands. He didn’t have any sisters or close omegan family members that would normally stand in such a place, so he chose Sonia because she was the sister he never had.

To his right, Hop stood on the outside of Raihan with a similar wreath in his hands as well. Raihan didn’t have any alpha biological family to stand beside him (or any for that matter), so he initially wanted Piers to be there, but they made him Dj after the beta insisted that he’d much rather be on music duty than sitting in an uncomfortable outdoor chair. Leon suggested that Hop take the position, which had both Raihan and Hop’s approval without much fuss.

He knew Piers was somewhere far off to the side strumming the guitar he heard, but he didn’t bother looking for him. He still had not moved his eyes from the center of the stage, but in his peripheral, he could spot the man and woman that Raihan called his parents whom he knew walked him to the alter some moments ago and a few of his own extended family. Leon knew that all their friends were in the crowd, but he didn’t have time to think about that right now. All he could think about was Raihan’s wide smile and bright eyes, the latter of which might have had tears forming in them.

As they reached the front of the aisle, Raihan held out his hand in waited offering. Leon’s mother raised her hand that held the omega’s hand as Leon lifted it out of her tiny one into Raihan’s much larger one. It was an old and outdated tradition to pass the omega off to their new mate as a show of ownership, but it took on a new meaning to Leon and Raihan: approval to live as one soul, though they’d probably already been doing that as it was.

Raihan leaned down to whisper something to Leon, but the minister began talking before he could get a word in otherwise. The taller looked a bit disappointed but winked at Leon before turning to the minister. He couldn’t help but feel something blossom inside of his chest as he faced the minister hand-in-hand with his mate, who continued his long spiel.

_They were finally going to do it._

“…that their hearts may grow together fondly, like the vines of spring.” The minster finally motioned for Sonia and Hop, who stepped forward with the crowns in their hands. Though Raihan had to lean down a bit for Hop, the crowns of flowers and leaves were placed atop their heads, as was southern Galar tradition.

“So that their souls become one. Mr. Leon,” The minister addressed. “Do you promise to love, to cherish, and to hold through thick and thin, no matter the circumstance, Raihan, as your mate forever and always? Even as you grow old and your breath grows weary, will you stand steadfast by his side?”

“I do.” Leon squeezed Raihan’s hand lightly.

“Mr. Raihan,” The minister moved his sights upwards, “Do you as well promise to love, to cherish, and to hold through thick and thin, through every circumstance, Leon, as your mate forever and always? Even as you grow old and time goes on, will you stand steadfast by his side?”

“I do,” Raihan said resolutely, sending back the pulse to Leon.

“Now, by the power given to me, I proclaim you now a pair. Forever and always. You may now kiss your mate,” The minister said with a smile.

And, just then as the sun kissed the horizon in a smattering of pinks, purples, and oranges across the scattered clouds, Leon’s world exploded into one of color when his lips touched his mate’s. It was sweet, gentle, intoxicating and loving all in that one instant as him and his mate’s scents intertwined in the evening air. He never wanted to leave that moment.

The crowd erupted into loud applause and cheers like their lives depended on it as two souls were finally, officially declared one.

_=_

_‘Cause the hole inside my heart is stupid deep_

_=_

The reception was outside in the cool night air underneath the stars and draping orange hued string lights where a center dancefloor surrounded by tables decorated in white tablecloths with greens, oranges, and golds mixing together hosted the crowd of people. Off the side of the large patio, guests’ pokemon, including Raihan and Leon’s, played or lazed distantly away from the party, the occasional cry making its way back into the masses.

Sometime into it all (time was something of a farce to the newlyweds), Leon felt like he’d accepted millions of congratulations and well wishes when he saw Piers waving at him from behind the man he’d been talking to with an irritated look on his face before the musician gestured to his wrist with a few taps. Leon elbowed Raihan, who’d been talking to the man, before motioned towards Piers with his eyes.

Raihan eyes widened in realization, before he politely excused the both of them to talk to Piers.

“Jus’ wot do ya think you doing? Ih was supposed ta’ start th’ first dance song twenty minutes ago.” Piers moveded to put a hand on his hip, shifting the guitar strapped to his back in the process.

“Sorry, we got a bit sidetracked with everyone coming up to us to talk,” Raihan flashed a thousand-watt smile in hopes of deterring the irritated beta, but Piers’ glare deflected the blinding light with ease. He rubbed his temple.

“This’s th’ lass time Ih’m doin’ somethin’ nice for ya’ both,” Piers grumbled.

“In our defense,” Leon crossed his arms with a smirk. “ _You_ were the one who complained and offered to Dj for us.” 

“Yes, but my time’s valuable an’ Ih’ don’ wanna go wastin’ it waitin’ f’r you lot,” Piers scoffed. “Anyways, now that Ah got ya attention, be ready in a min’.” He turned and swished away to the music booth, guitar in tow.

“God, what did we do to deserve to have such an amazing guy in our little extended pack,” Raihan asked sarcastically but lacking malice and with a smile.

Leon rolled his eyes, “Come on. We better get to the center of the room before Piers decides not to do it.”

Making their way through the crowd of people with apologies to come talk in a minute to those who reached out to them, they made it to the dance floor just as the Piers came over the mic to announce that the couple would now take their first dance. Piers came out from behind the booth to a chair and mic set up, slinging his guitar from behind him as he took a seat.

The crowd gathered as the lights dimmed overhead and ones from all around lit the dance floor in gentle blues and purples. Raihan slipped his hand to Leon’s waist, taking in his sweet and calming scent. 

“You know, you never did tell me what song you’re making him sing,” Raihan murmured in his ear. This was one of the few things that they both hadn’t had a hand in deciding, with Raihan giving the reasoning that Leon’s taste in slow music was far superior to his own. The first few strums came through the speaker hooked up to the guitar.

“ _What if who I hoped to be was always me?”_ Piers sang softly. Leon just smiled, looking past the alpha’s shoulder.

“Don’t worry…” He said as they started swaying among the colors around them.

“ _And th’ love I fought to feel was always free?”_

“You’ll love it.” Leon looked into Raihan’s eyes only to see them completely trained on him with a soft smile.

“ _What if all th’ things I’ve done, yeah; were jus’ attempts at earning love, yeah? ‘Cause th’ hole inside my heart is stupid deep…”_

“I’m sure I will.”

_=_

_Stupid Deep._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Roll Credits!
> 
> Anyways, I'm glad that we've had the opportunity of crossing paths for this fic, even if you didn't like it or just popped in for a quick read. Thank you to everyone who's kudos'ed and commented (y'all really are the best even if you don't believe me) because you guys are the only reason I finished this fic in the first place, which I've never done before. 
> 
> But before I go, here's a heads up. I'm making this a series (wooooooooOOOOOO), the next one will not be focused on these two lovely men, but rather an emotionally unstable twat and a boy too nice for his own good. Idk when that bit will be written, but the idea exists lmao.
> 
> Peace, my loves, the Emperor of Commas and Semicolons will return soon. (Don't be afraid to say hi!)

**Author's Note:**

> probably gonna make this about three or four parts depending on what I feel like. I hope you like it!
> 
> Please comment if you have constructive criticisms, ideas, or anything you'd like to say! It really helps


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